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| Travel » Mexico Travel Guide |
Mexico Travel Guide
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 Mexico Visa & Embassy Info »
Full country name: Estados Unidos Méxicanos
Population: 100.35 million
Capital City: Mexico City
Languages: Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages.
Religion: 90% Roman Catholic, 6% Protestant, 4% other
Time Zone: GMT/UTC -7 (The North West state of Sonora is on -7 GMT all year round), GMT/UTC -7 (Baja California Sur and several other states in the northwest are on Mountain Time), GMT/UTC -8 (Baja California Norte is on Pacific Standard Time), GMT/UTC -6 (Most of Mexico is on Central Standard Time in Winter)
Dialling Code: 52
Electricity: 127V, 60Hz
Weights & measures: Metric
Money & Costs:
Currency: Mexican New Peso |
Meals
Budget: US$2-8
Mid-range: US$8-20
High: US$20-50
Top: US$50+ |
Accommodation:
Budget: US$10-20
Mid-range: US$20-70
High: US$70-200
Top: US$200+ |
The most expensive regions are Baja California, Monterrey and the Yucatan Peninsula's Caribbean coast, but elsewhere you can expect to get away with spending around $20-35 a day, particularly in rural areas. Throw in a few luxuries like travelling in reasonable comfort, staying at better mid-range places and eating at more expensive restaurants, and you'll need more like $60.00.
It's best to bring US-dollar denomination traveller's checks and some US dollars in cash. You can exchange money in banks or in casas de cambio. Note that bank exchange facilities are often only open between 9am and 3pm or 4pm. Major credit cards are accepted by airlines, car rental companies and more expensive hotels and restaurants - but take extra care when using them, as credit-card fraud and theft is rife in Mexico. In heavily touristed areas such as Acapulco, Cancun and Cozumel, you can often spend US dollars as easily as pesos at hotels and restaurants (although the exchange rate will probably be very bad). Note that the dollar sign is used to refer to pesos in Mexico; prices in US dollars are usually marked US$ or USD.
Mexico has a 15% value-added tax (IVA) which by law must be included in quoted prices. Sometimes, usually in top-end hotels, prices are quoted without this tax. Tipping in restaurants in resort areas is equivalent to US levels, somewhere between 15% and 20%. Outside these areas, a tip of 10% is sufficient at mid-range restaurants. Generally, staff at smaller, cheaper places do not expect a tip. Expect to bargain at markets and with drivers of taxis without meters. Treat haggling as a form of social interaction rather than a matter of life and death.
ATMs are very common in Mexico, and are the easiest source of cash. You can use major credit cards and some bank cards, such as those on the Cirrus and Plus systems, to withdraw pesos from ATMs. The exchange rate that banks use for ATM withdrawals is normally more in your favour than the 'tourist rate' for currency exchange, though that advantage may be negated by extra handling fees and interest charges. Should you need money sent to you by wire transfer in Mexico, an easy and quick method is the Dinero en Minutos (Money in Minutes) service of Western Union (800 325 6000 in the USA). It's offered by thousands of bank branches and other businesses around Mexico.
Workers in the tourism and hospitality industries often depend on tips to supplement lousy wages. In tourist hotspots, tipping is up to US levels of 15%; elsewhere 10% is standard. If you stay a few days in one place, you should leave up to 10% of your room costs for housekeeping staff. A room porter in a mid-range hotel will be happy with $1 a bag. Taxi drivers don't generally expect tips unless they go out of their way for you.
Geography: Mexico is bordered by the United States to the north, and Belize and Guatemala to the southeast. Mexico is about one-fifth the size of the United States. Baja California in the west is an 800-mile (1,287-km) peninsula and forms the Gulf of California. In the east are the Gulf of Mexico and the Bay of Campeche, which is formed by Mexico's other peninsula, the Yucatan. The center of Mexico is a great, high plateau, open to the north, with mountain chains on the east and west and with ocean-front lowlands lying outside of them.
Mexico is a land of such extreme diversity: the superficial glitz of fly-in, fly-out tourist resorts coexists with awe-inspiring ancient cities, and snow-capped volcanoes slope down to pine forests, deserts and balmy tropical beaches. The bursting industrial megalopolis of Mexico City is a one-hour flight from the resource-rich southern state of Chiapas, where Indian insurgents recurrently tangle with the ruling party's paramilitary forces. Up along the northern border, Mexico's disorienting tumult of heritages merge with the air-conditioned cultures of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
Mexico City has a population of 21,250,000 (metro. area), 8,681,500 (city proper) Other large cities include: Ecatepec, 1,750,000 (part of Mexico City metro. area); Guadalajara, 1,670,000; Puebla, 1,350,000; Nezahualcóyotl, 1,250,000 (part of Mexico City metro area); Monterrey, 1,150,000
Climate: Climate varies according to altitude. Coastal areas and lowlands (tierra caliente) are hot and steamy with high humidity, while the central plateau is temperate even in winter. The climate of the inland highlands is mostly mild, but sharp changes in temperature occur between day and night. The cold lands (tierra fría) lie above 2000m (6600ft). Rainfall varies greatly from region to region. Only the Sierra Madre Oriental, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and the state of Chiapas in the far south receive any appreciable amount of rain during the year, with the wet season running between June and September. All other areas have rainless seasons, while the northern and central areas of the central plateau are dry and arid. There is some snow in the north in winter. The dry season runs from October to May.
Public Holidays: Jan 1 2005 New Year’s Day. Feb 5 Constitution Day.Mar 21 Birthday of Benito Juárez. Mar 25-28 Easter. May 1 Labour Day. May 5 Anniversary of Battle of Puebla. Sep 16 Independence Day. Oct 12 Día de la Raza (Columbus Day). Nov 2 Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Nov 20 Anniversary of the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Dec 12 Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Dec 25 Christmas Day.
Note: (a) In addition there are many local holidays. For details, contact the Mexican Tourist Office. (b) Holidays falling at the weekend are not celebrated on the previous or following weekday.
Study in Mexico: Below are the latest
Italian language schools, art schools,
business
schools & colleges to join our directory. |
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| Latest
Spanish schools & private colleges to join: |
Location |
Spanish Schools in Mexico - Languages in Action is an international organization of language schools providing opportunities to learn a language of your choice, at language schools around the world. Learn Spanish in Mexico with Languages in Action at our language schools in Guadalajara, Cuernavaca, San Miguel de Allende, Puebla, Oaxaca, San Cristobal, Cancun, Merida. Join us in an enigmatic and beautiful country of fascinating ancient sites, magnificent colonial architecture, desert landscapes, snow-capped volcanoes, abundant flora and fauna, sun-soaked beaches, sensational food and vibrant festivities.
Our language schools offer
Complete Beginner, Basic, Elementary,
Intermediate and Advanced Spanish level courses that
focus on the four key language skill areas of
speaking, listening, reading and writing, while
considerable attention is also placed on
pronunciation, oral communication and the
appropriate usage of language in daily
situations.
Our schools provide individual or group courses,
Survival Spanish, intensive Spanish training,
private Spanish lessons, Spanish for Business,
Medical Spanish, Spanish Immersion Homestay
program - stay with a Mexican family. Also:
Spanish for Hispanics, Spanish for Airline
Personnel, Spanish for Senior Citizens, Spanish
for Teens, Spanish for Teachers.
Spanish & Activities: Spanish and Diving Course,
Spanish courses combined with Biking, Yoga,
Salsa and Merengue Dancing, Golf, Mayan
Mysteries, Kayaking, Fishing, Sailing, Horse
Riding, Mexican cooking, Mexican Music, Arts and
Craft Classes, Jewelry making with amber and
silver, Ceramics, Textile Weaving. |
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| TEFL Course Mexico - Registered in Louisiana (US) in 2003, Global Crossroad, LLC is one of the world's fastest growing international volunteer vacation & TEFL Abroad organizations. In partnership with world-leading TEFL institutions, Global Crossroad offers a rare opportunity to earn an internationally-recognized TEFL certification (120-hour+ courses) while being immersed in a new culture of 17 fascinating, exotic destinations, including Chiapa de Corzo, in Chiapas State in southern Mexico.
Quality TEFL Certification: This is a world-recognized 4-week TEFL course. |
Chiapas |
| Teach English in Mexico - Academia Falcon has an excellent reputation in language education, and offers you the opportunity to train to become a certified and effective English teacher. We are located in Guanajuato, a historical and picturesque city in the central part of Mexico, about three and half-hours north of Mexico City. The city is located in a valley surrounded by stunning mountains. The colorful downtown has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
Guanajuato, Mexico |
| Global Vision International |
Tulum |
| The Language Immersion School, Veracruz, Mexico |
Veracruz |
| Spanish Immersion Mexico |
Yucatan |
| Guadalajara Language Center |
Tlaquepaque |
| Instituto Internacional de Artes Culinarias |
San Luis Potosi |
| Frida Spanish School in Mexico City |
Mexico City |
| Intercultural Center for Languages and Culture |
Cuernavaca |
| Club de Español y Lenguas Internacionales |
Cuernavaca |
| TEFL Certification Mexico |
Guanajuato |
| Culturlingua Tlaquepaque |
Jalisco |
| Cross Cultural Training |
Cuernavaca |
| Español Interactivo Language School |
Oaxaca |
| Mexico Study Spanish and Surf |
Oaxaca |
| International House Mexico |
Mexico City |
| Instituto Chac-Mool Spanish School |
Cuernavaca |
| Bilingual Language Programs Worldwide |
Cuernavaca |
| Becasurf, Language & Recreation |
Mexican Pacific Coast |
| Fenix Language Institute Zacatecas |
Zacatecas |
| Centro de Idiomas de Mazatlán, S.C. |
Mazatlan |
TEFL Mexico
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